'An unlucky moment,' said Laura. 'Will my cheeks ever cool?'
'Perhaps he did not hear,' said Amabel, consolingly.
'You did not ask about Philip?' said Charlotte, with great earnestness.
'He is staying at Thorndale, and then going to St. Mildred's,' said Laura.
'I hope you are relieved,' said her brother; and she looked in doubt whether she ought to laugh.
'And what do you think of Sir Guy?'
'May he only be worthy of his dog!' replied Charles.
'Ah!' said Laura, 'many men are neither worthy of their wives, nor of their dogs.'
'Dr. Henley, I suppose, is the foundation of that aphorism,' said Charles.
'If Margaret Morville could marry him, she could hardly be too worthy,' said Laura. 'Think of throwing away Philip's whole soul!'
'O Laura, she could not lose that,' said Amabel.
Laura looked as if she knew more; but at that moment, both her father and mother entered, the former rubbing his hands, as he always did when much pleased, and sending his voice before him, as he exclaimed, 'Well, Charlie, well, young ladies, is not he a fine fellow--eh?'
'Rather under-sized,' said Charles.
'Eh? He'll grow. He is not eighteen, you know; plenty of time; a very good height; you can't expect every one to be as tall as Philip; but he's a capital fellow. And how have you been?--any pain?'
'Hem--rather,' said Charles, shortly, for he hated answering kind inquiries, when out of humour.
'Ah, that's a pity; I was sorry not to find you in the drawing-room, but I thought you would have liked just to see him,' said Mr. Edmonstone, disappointed, and apologizing.
'I had rather have had some notice of your intention,' said Charles, 'I would have made myself fit to be seen.'
'I am sorry. I thought you would have liked his coming,' said poor Mr. Edmonstone, only half conscious of his offence; 'but I see you are not well this evening.'
Worse and worse, for it was equivalent to openly telling Charles he was out of humour; and seeing, as he did, his mother's motive, he was still further annoyed when she hastily interposed a question about Sir Guy.
'You should only hear them talk about him at Redclyffe,' said Mr Edmonstone. 'No one was ever equal to him, according to them. Every one said the same--clergyman, old Markham, all of them. Such attention to his grandfather, such proper feeling, so good-natured, not a bit of pride--it is my firm belief that he will make up for all his family before him.'